Hanover Garden Club

🌹 Tuesday was a delightful celebration at our annual end-of-year Rose Luncheon! It was a day filled with accomplishments, laughter, and the joy of simply being together. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Ruthanne Lillis and the entire Rose Luncheon committee, along with Highland Taps & Tables, for orchestrating such a fantastic event. Everything was just perfect, from the stunning arrangements to the delicious food and the welcoming space. A huge shoutout to our talented photographers, Victoria Curry and Bobby Lillis, for capturing these cherished memories. Thank you all for making this day so special! 🌸

What an incredible ECO event we just had! We were thrilled to share seeds with over 150 enthusiastic participants, spreading the joy of growth and sustainability. A huge shoutout to our amazing volunteers—Heidi Kozak, Diane Wensel, Megahn Rineman, Lynne Thompson, Eileen Kindig, Donna Davis, and Tammy Myers—whose dedication and passion made this unforgettable day possible. Your hard work truly means the world to us!
The Purple Bean Vine seeds stole the spotlight, captivating everyone with their unique look and sparking curiosity. Thankfully, the storms held off for us, letting us enjoy a beautiful, albeit extremely hot weekend. Here is to more inspiring moments like this! 🌱💚

Do not forget, The Hanover Garden Club will be Codorus State Park for the ECO event this Saturday and Sunday (June 13th and 14th)! Visit our tent, by the crafts area. Look for Acorn Acres, the Reptiles, the Bug Man, and the Chestnut Foundation! This is a magnificent event for the whole family! Visit the event website for more information: https://www.codorusfriends.org/eco.html . See you there!

ECO SATURDAY and SUNDAY JUNE 7 and 8, 2025 Main Launch, Codorus State Park

Congratulations to our June "Garden of the Month" award winner, Richard Rorrer, of 361 Grant Drive, Hanover.

When Richard and his wife, Deb, purchased this home 31 years ago, none of what we see now was there. Even though he had no experience with gardening growing up, the gardens they inherited were not his style, so he decided to gut them and began creating what we see today...a brave undertaking! He read, watched videos, and watched landscapers he would hire to learn pointers. Then off he went on the journey of thirty years of work, making mistakes and learning along the way, as we all do! He even planned a beautiful brick sidewalk and brick highlights in his driveway to make the area look even more special.

Each year a little more was done, and they continue to add to it to this day. Retirement presented him with even more time to spend in his gardens, and as he says, he then "really began to dig into it!" He is the chief gardener, but Deb does get involved helping to pick colors for the planters and being the willing observer to guide him for exact placement--"a little to the left, move it there, etc." That's clearly a demanding job because when you see this landscaping, you know that Richard is a true perfectionist. There isn't a leaf or blade of grass that escapes his watchful eye! Everything is always at its best. He has received several offers asking him to trim other gardeners' shrubs (this author included!) Even his spotless garage has everything lined up and hanging perfectly.

His obsession is our enjoyment! If you drive by and see him outside tweaking this or that, you'll know he's where he wants to be--making his grounds perfect for those of us who pass by.

Thank you, Richard, for beautifying your corner of the neighborhood for all to enjoy!

The Hanover Garden Club's May 20 meeting was informative and filled with beautiful arrangements.

Randi Lorah from thePenn Cumberland Garden Clubb was our speaker. Her insights into living a greener lifestyle were enlightening.

We also had three winners, each receiving a $3,000 scholarship.

Maddison Berresford graduated from Gettysburg High School in 2025. She will be a sophomore at Penn State this year and is studying Agricultural Education.

Makenzie Feeser is graduating from Littlestown High School this month. She plans to attend Penn State for Forest Ecosystem Management.

Mary Grace Zumbrun is graduating from South Western High School and plans to attend Juniata College to major in Watershed Management and Conservation.

Our members outdid themselves again with the beautiful arrangements for the artistic showing.

Members of the Hanover Garden Club spent a beautiful day visiting Surreybrooke Gardens and Nursery () in Middletown, MD.

We chatted with Nancy and learned about how she and her husband created these extensive gardens from what was once the site of their hay and cattle farm. Being blessed with perfect weather, we explored the picturesque and tranquil environment, following walking paths to take us to several garden-themed areas and ponds, all beautifully decorated with lovely trees, shrubs, flowers and statuary.

We then had great fun purchasing lovely annuals, perennials, statuary and artistic garden accents and gifts.

Beauty for the eyes was followed by beauty for our mouths as we indulged in a delicious Italian lunch at Fratelli's of Middletown ().

A picture-perfect way to spend a lovely spring day!

President Heidi Kozak, Jan Fritz and Melissa Loiselle of the Hanover Garden Club presented a flower-filled discussion at Windy Hill on the Campus in Spring Grove, PA as keynote speakers at their Mother's Day Tea.

Before speaking, they indulged in the delightful sights and flavors of the tea. Those in attendance were dressed in their finery, many wearing hats they had decorated the week before in a crafts class. The results speak for themselves--look at those pics! They did an amazing job!

Heidi, Jan and Melissa then shared how flowers came to be involved with Mother's Day and fascinated the crowd of over 130 members by sharing the background of floriography, "the language of flowers." This was the practice of secretly sharing emotions and feelings without speaking them by using flowers.

It was most popular in Victorian England, and some of what was started then is still used today when we buy flowers for special occasions. They also shared "fun facts" about many flowers that were unusual or not commonly known.

They concluded with discussing how flowers can become special because they were passed down through families. There was lots of interaction with the attendees and many shared their favorites.

The Hanover Garden Club gifted each attendee with a long-stemmed carnation to celebrate the day!

All in attendance were fascinated by what they learned and many left with knowledge of something they'd like to try.

Congratulations to our May "Garden of the Month" award winner, Rick Martz, of 716 Washington Ave., Hanover. Though Rick did not experience the love of gardening as a child, he stepped into the role of "official landscaper" at this property when he and his wife purchased it 20 years ago. At that time, the garden was completely overgrown, so they decided to gut it and start over. A big task for someone with no helpful background experience! However, he had a good friend who was willing to help, so they designed the layout of all the shrubs he thought he'd like and began to dig! Twenty years later, those shrubs have grown to maturity, and you can quickly see that his original choices were spot on!

He appreciates the look of well-groomed trees and shrubs even more than flowers, as well as the neatness of a more formal style, so he developed the yard over the years with that in mind. He even mows attractive patterns into his lawn to add more dimension and interest. When asked where he finds his motivation, having had no previous interest, he shares that keeping the landscape looking pristine gives him great pleasure, and he gets encouragement and ideas from his employee, Kelly, at his place of business who does an amazing job with the plantings there.

When spring blooming trees and shrubs are fading and summer's blooms aren't yet exploding, this garden is a prime example of the four-season beauty found in formal gardens, where the well-maintained trees, shrubs and lawns provide interest year-round when other gardens have lost their flower focal points.

Thank you, Rick, for beautifying your neighborhood for all to enjoy!

The Hanover Garden Club is thrilled to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who showcased their incredible generosity by donating to our scholarship fund through Give Local York this week. Your contributions will have a lasting impact on the lives of students who will never forget your kindness.

A special thanks goes out to those who shopped at our Spring Plant Sale on Saturday. It was an exhilarating morning as 52 enthusiastic guests streamed through the doors at 8 a.m., ready to embark on a botanical adventure! The parking lot was bustling even before we officially opened, and it wasn't long before eager shoppers were joyfully filling their boxes with vibrant plants and flowers. The energy was palpable, and the atmosphere was electric!

These sales enable us to fund scholarships and support our numerous charities, creating a beautiful cycle of giving. You get to transform your gardens into lush paradises, and we get to uplift others—a truly spectacular win/win for everyone involved.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey and for helping us help them!